Here With Me Now
by DontCallMeCoward
Summary: Neither feels adequate but together they are perfect. A Danisnotonfire fanfiction. *RATED M FOR FUTURE SMUT AND OTHER ADULT THEMES* Danisnotonfire/ OC, Amazingphil/ OC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story started out as a short and sweet one page scene but I started to add back story and 10,000 words later I finally got to my original scene. I normally don't publish my fanfictions, but I really wanted some feedback so please let me know what you think! (Rated M for future smut and other adult themes)**

**Marley pov:**

I was restocking the shelves in the local cooking store where I worked with half and hour before my shift was supposed to end.

"Excuse me"

I turned around to see two guys standing there. "Can I help you?" I asked, putting on a smile.

"Yes," said one of the guys. He had giant blue eyes and had a fringe haircut that almost matched the haircut of the guy he was with. "We were looking for a Delia Smith cookbook. Do you know where we could find one?"

_They are one of the most awkward gay couples that have ever walked into this store_, I thought to myself_._ "Yes, right this way." I took them over to the cookbook section and showed them where to find what they were looking for.

"Thanks," said the other one.

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything else." I smiled at them and went back to stocking the shelves.

**Dan pov:**

"Dan, seriously?" Phil said, hitting me as we walked up the stairs to our apartment.

"What?" I said, taken aback.

"Why didn't you talk to her? She was so hot! And you have been whining about not having a girlfriend for waaaay too long!"

"Yeah, she was. Wasn't she?"

"You are going to go back there within the next week and you are going to say something more to her than just 'Thanks.' Okay?"

"Fine," I said, glaring at Phil. The girl at the cooking store had been very attractive and seemed friendly enough, but how the hell was I supposed to start a conversation with some girl at a cooking store?

A few days later, Phil and I were preparing our props and ingredients to film a cooking video the next day, using a recipe from Delia Smith's cookbook of course, and we realized that we didn't have everything we needed.

"You're going to that store," said Phil. "And you are going to talk to that girl."

"Seriously, Phil? It's your turn," I protested. I knew what he was trying to do, but it wasn't like I would ever get together with some random girl in a cooking store.

"I'm dead serious. I'm not going."

Rolling my eyes, I sighed, grabbed my wallet, and walked out the door. I tried my best to put a smile on my face as I walked the short two blocks to the store.

**Marlena POV:**

I glanced at my watch again. 8:50. Ten more minutes.

I had told Rachel she could leave around 8:00 and I would cover the rest of her shift because her dog was sick and it was a really slow day. Attempting to pass time, I stood at the register, flicking through some teen magazine.

"Aren't the Jonas Brothers a little out of date?"

I looked up to see one of the guys who had come into the store the other day looking for the Delia Smith cookbook. His boyfriend wasn't with him this time though. He was leaning on the counter, his immaculately straightened hair perfectly positioned on his face and his dark brown eyes staring at me.

"Um, yeah," I said, realizing that I had been staring at Joe Jonas's face for the last 20 minutes without actually seeing it. "I was just bored. This was the only magazine I could find that doesn't have to do with cooking."

"Yeah, I guess you can only read so many recipes for the worlds best brownies," he said, indicating a magazine what was sitting on a rack near by.

"You would think I would at least be a better cook though," I laughed, remembering my horrid attempt to make brownies for my boyfriend for his birthday last month. "My brownies turn out like bricks and my cookies always crumble."

"Yet you work in a cooking store," he said, pointing out the irony.

"I'm just hoping some of it will rub off on me, I guess. Anyway, is there anything I can help you with? Or did you just come here to criticize my taste in magazines?"

"Yeah, actually." He gave me his list and explained what he and his friend were trying to make. I helped him around the store and eventually found everything he needed and we returned to the register. Not wanting to walk all the way around the counter (there were mountains of boxes back there right now because we had just gotten a new shipment) I simply turned the computer around and rung him up from there.

"Marlena. That's a pretty name," he said, apparently reading my nametag.

"I go by Marley." I said blushing.

"Marley. Even better. I'm Dan." He extended his had as I finished bagging his items and I shook it.

"Nice to meet you," I smiled back at him. I was still blushing, not used to being complemented.

"Well, I better be getting back. Lots of cooking to do. Thank you so much for your help, Marley," said Dan, giving me a quick and unexpected hug in gratitude.

"Marley!" I flinched. It was my boyfriend Jake. And he sounded angry. _Shit_. He had warned me the other night that if I let any guy so much as touch me, he would make sure I never forgot what it felt like to have _him_ touch me. He had gotten angry enough to threaten me with hitting me before, and he had in fact slapped me a few times, but it never left any lasting damage. This time though, I was downright terrified of him. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" he growled.

I held my ground, bracing for the worst. Thankfully, I was standing between Jake and Dan, so an innocent bystander would most likely not have to get involved. Unless he knocked me out first. The thought made my blood run cold. My heart stopped pounding for a second then kicked into overdrive.

"Jake. Breathe. It's—"

"Don't tell me what to do, woman!" he yelled. Before I had time to react, his fist made contact with my face. I crumpled to the floor.

Barely conscious, I thought I could hear Dan say something and I saw Jake take a swing at Dan. Then everything faded away.

When I started to regain consciousness, the first thing I realized was that I was not touching the ground. _What the hell_, I thought. _What's going on?_ Then I remembered; my eyes flew open.

I was in the middle of the street in Dan's arms. "Oh thank god," he said, seeing that I had woken up. "I was worried I was going to have to take you to the hospital."

"What happened? How? You…?"

"Jake is currently unconscious inside the store," he explained. "He tried to hit me so I figured it was okay to use some of the Tae Kwan Do I learned when I was 10. I called the manager and explained the situation. He said he would take care of it."

"Oh," I responded, still dazed from being knocked out. "Let me walk. I can walk."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Marley. You just got hit in the head pretty hard. I can carry you back to my car and drive you to wherever you need to go. The hospital might still be a good idea, actually."

"Okay," I relented. I didn't think I would be able to support my own weight anyway, so I just rested my head back on his arm and let him carry me through the streets back to his car. We got there and he opened the passenger door effortlessly despite my weight and slid me smoothly into the seat.

"Where to?" Dan asked after he had climbed into the driver side.

"Um," I began. Then it hit me. I had nowhere to go. I was supposed to spend the night with Jake because my apartment was being fumigated. "I… I don't know," I said, explaining my situation as coherently as possible, still in a daze from the punch.

"Well, you could come up to my apartment and I can try to help you work things out from there," he awkwardly suggested, clearly aware that he we were complete strangers and his suggestion could be taken the wrong way.

I didn't know what to do. On one hand, it went against everything I knew to just walk into a strangers apartment, but on the other hand, he had just saved me from the wrath of my boyfriend and I was feeling very fatigued.

"Okay," I agreed. Managing to open my door, I began to fumble with the seatbelt, unable to push the small button. Dan leaned over me and carefully removed it, lifted me out of the car and carried me to the elevator. He didn't put me down even when we reached his door; he just knocked. After a few seconds, I heard a lock turn and the door opened.

"Dan! Is she okay?" I recognized this guy as the one that had accompanied Dan to my store when I first met him. Dan must have called him too before I woke up and told him what happened.

"Well, she's conscious now, but I'm not convinced she doesn't need to go to the hospital."

"I'll go now," said a blond girl from behind the guy who answered the door.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, baby." He gave her a swift kiss as she skirted around us out the door. _I guess they aren't gay_, I realized.

Dan carried me in and placed me gently on a sofa. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I responded automatically.

"Would you like some water?" asked the other one.

"Yes please."

"I'm going to go get a washcloth to clean off your face," said Dan.

_Oh, no_. Was my nose bloody? _How embarrassing…_

"I'm Phil by the way," said the other one, handing me a glass of water.

"Thanks," I said taking the glass. "I'm Marley."

"Here we are," said Dan, reemerging. He came over and knelt beside me. "Do you mind?" I shook my head. I was starting to be less weirded out about being in a stranger's apartment and I was beginning to think that these guys were just genuinely nice people. Maybe it was just the fatigue setting in. "Close your eyes," he instructed.

I did as he asked. The warm washcloth felt nice. Dan was very gentle, taking note of when I winced from where I had been hit and being even more delicate in those places. When he was finished, I didn't want to open my eyes, but I thought it would be rude if I just fell asleep on his couch, so I forced them open.

"Thank you," I said weakly.

"It's okay. I don't think your nose is broken either, which is good. "But, do you want me to take you to the hospital to make sure nothing is wrong?"

"No." I was not going to go to the hospital and tell a bunch of doctors about how my boyfriend abused me. When I thought of it, I started to feel angry. _How could he do this to me? Am I really not worth anything to him?_My anger at him turned into anger at myself. _I knew this would happen eventually. Why did I let myself stay with him?_

It was as though Dan could sense what I was feeling and he said, "Okay" without argument. "In that case, is there anywhere you want to go? Do you want to call a friend and stay with them?"

"Well, I would, but the only person's phone number I know off the top of my head is Jake's. Did you happen to pick up my purse when we left the store? It had my phone in it."

"No, I didn't. Sorry. Um, give me one minute. Phil? Can I talk to you for a second?"

They walked away through a hallway out of sight and I tried hard to fight back the sleep. When they reemerged Dan knelt back down beside me and said, "We were wondering if you might want to stay here? I can tell you are about ready to fall asleep and we wouldn't feel right kicking you out, especially in your condition."

I thought about it and decided that I trusted them. Besides, I was too tired to move.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Phil asked.

I just shook my head. Dan went and grabbed a blanket and draped it over me. "Thank you guys so much. I really appreciate it," I mumbled. I fell asleep before I could hear their responses.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey fellow Danosaurs (or other people who happen to be reading this story)! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Reviews are much appreciated (hint, hint).**

**DAN POV:**

I rolled over and looked at my clock. It was 4:30 in the morning. _Why the hell am I awake right now?_ Then I heard it. The sounds of dry, heaving sobs were coming from my living room. _Oh my god. Marley_. I jumped out of bed, not even bothering to put a shirt on and ran into the living room.

I found her exactly where I had left her, curled up under the blanket. But she was sobbing uncontrollably. I went over and knelt down next to her.

She looked at me and blushed. "S-sorry," she stammered.

"What's wrong?" I put my hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her.

"I just…. I just feel like such filth," she sobbed. "I can't believe I let it get that carried away. My boyfriend is always so sweet in public. Its just when we are alone, he can get… mean"

"Has he hit you before?" I asked, aghast.

"Never that bad. I feel so worthless. If I had meant anything to him, he wouldn't have hit me. He must have never cared…" And she dissolved into sobs again.

I don't know how long I was there, but I could have stayed there forever. She truly was beautiful, even crying. And the way the moonlight played across her long brown hair and reflected in her blue eyes was entrancing. I marveled at how captivating this girl on my sofa was. I didn't know her, but I wanted to protect her. I wanted her to be happy. And I wanted to be the reason for that happiness. I sat there next to her, mesmerized by her beauty and offered occasional words of comfort until her sobs died down.

"Thanks. I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I said, rising reluctantly to my feet to go back to bed now that I was pretty sure she was stable. "Will you be okay now?"

She nodded and I pulled the blanket back up around her as she laid back down. I was almost around the corner when I heard her say faintly, "Please don't go."

I stopped and turned, not sure if I had imagined it. But when I looked back, she was looking at me pleadingly, tears threatening to spill down her face again. I walked back to her and knelt down.  
"I'm sorry. I just feel so alone right now. I need someone. Please stay with me."

Wordlessly, I wiped away one stray tear that was glistening on her cheek. I climbed over her onto the sofa and crawled under the blanket beside her. I tried to leave space between us but the small couch made this impossible. Her back was pressed against my chest; I could feel her breathing. And her long curls tickled my nose. Her hair smelled nice. Like honey with a hint of almond. That was the last thing I remember before drifting off into sleep.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooo

I woke up on the sofa, wearing nothing but my boxers and covered in just a blanket. A pang of panic shot through me when I realized that I was alone, but it was quickly subdued when I heard Marley's voice coming from the kitchen.

"No…. No…. Don't even go there with me right now, Jake. I told you: we are done. I should have done this a long time ago. I don't want to see you. Just leave my things on top of my car…."

I figured I should give her some privacy and put some clothes on, so I got up as quickly and quietly as I could, wrapping the blanket around myself, and went to my room. Unfortunately, Marley's voice was rising and I could still clearly hear everything she was saying.

"Yes, I make a point of sleeping with all my customers at the cooking store," she said sarcastically. "What the hell do you think, Jake? Of course I haven't been with anyone since we have been together. Who do you think I am? …That's none of your business…. Well how do you think I am supposed to trust you now? I refuse to spend any more of my life living in fear of you—or anyone else for that matter…. Fine…. No…. _No!_ _How dare you?_ I'm done. I'm not talking to you anymore. When I get to my car, I expect to find all of my stuff with it…. No…. Bye Jake."

I counted to ten then decided it would be safe to reenter. I found her in the kitchen, face in her hands. "Hey, Marley."

She responded with a small "Hey" and looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Sorry. I—" She broke off, unable to continue and dissolved into tears. Without thinking, I crossed the room in three long strides and pulled her into a hug. She immediately wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my chest. I rested my cheek on the top of her head, inhaling the honey-almond smell of her hair, running my hands soothingly up and down her back. Eventually her sobs died down and she sniffed and looked up at me. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were shining; tears pooled in her blue eyes and clung to her long eyelashes.

Standing on her tiptoes, she stretched up and delicately kissed the corner of my jaw.

My mind whirled. My breathing stopped. Had those delicate lips really just touched my skin? They must have, because my skin was now burning.

Whether it was a second or an hour later, I realized that I was still holding Marley in my arms and she was looking up at me with a faint smile. I quickly and somewhat awkwardly pulled away, registering the shock that she had somehow become very important to me in the last 12 hours and realizing that I did not want to take advantage of this girl who was obviously going through great emotional turmoil.

"Um, can I get you some tea or something?" I offered.

"That sounds great, thanks."

"How's your head feeling?" I asked as I busied myself with the kettle.

"Much better, thanks."

**MARLENA POV:**

I had just kissed Dan. I don't know what made me do it, but I had done it. As I sat there making small talk, I hoped that he had just seen it as a friendly gesture. But I knew my motivation had been more than simple gratitude. He was the sweetest person I had ever met. He had saved me from my rampaging boyfriend. _Ex-boyfriend_, I corrected myself in my head. And he had let me stay in his apartment. And last night. Last night, he came in and stayed with me while I was crying. The image of his deep brown, concern-filled eyes was burned into my memory. And he had stayed with me through the night. He made me feel protected. He made me feel less worthless.

In the course of talking to him, I learned that he was 21—almost exactly one year older than me. He went to university to study law for two years then dropped out and was now a professional YouTuber, by the name of Danisnotonfire. He met Phil three years ago and it was actually Phil that encouraged him to start making YouTube videos. I told him about my rather boring life: I was studying medicine at university and had been working at the cooking store for about a year. I told him I was originally from Manchester but had moved around quite a bit because of my dad's job. It turned out that he was from there too and we bonded over the fact that our houses had actually been quite close to each other.

We talked for quite a while, but eventually I realized that I had to leave sometime. I asked Dan if he could drive me to the cooking store to pick up my purse then to my car so I could collect my things.

I waited in the car while Dan went in and retrieved my purse from the store. I didn't want to go back in after what happened there yesterday. _Was that really yesterday?_ It felt like ages ago. When he parked next to my car, he got out and quickly opened my door. Getting out of the car, I gave him a big hug. I didn't want to leave him, but I didn't want to be an imposition and it's not like I knew him all that well. "Thank you so much. For everything."

"It's okay. I'm just glad I could help."

I turned to go.

"Marley," Dan said, grabbing my hand. I turned back around and met his intense gaze with one of wonderment. "You are most definitely not worthless."

I squeezed his hand in response and gave him a small smile. Then I got in my car and drove away.

I found myself in front of my apartment without having intended to drive there. It was still tented so I parked and got out my phone to call Rachel in the hope that I could stay with her until I could go back to my own apartment.

When I unlocked my phone, it was on a page in my contacts. "Dan Howell" was written at the top of the screen and his number was just below it. I smiled. He must have put his number in when he went to get my purse.

Thankfully, Rachel said I could stay with her. But a part of me was disappointed. Part of me wanted to call Dan and tell him I had no place to stay. Part of me wanted to go back to his apartment and curl up in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This chapter is kind of short but if I posted it with the next section it would be way too long. Anyway, I think I was too subtle in my a/n with the last chapter, so I just want to say PLEASE REVIEW! I will seriously send you virtual hugs and cookies. And thanks to notweirdgifted and PurpleNutella (love the username btw) for the reviews! I love you guys! Seriously.**

**DAN POV:**

"Dan!"

I jumped. "What?"

"I've been calling your name for the last five minutes," said Phil. "What are you so deep in thought about?"

"Dunno."

"Dan, you have been moping around this apartment for the last week. You haven't made any videos. All you have done is send out one tweet to let your followers know that your live chat was canceled."

I just shrugged. I had honestly been trying to come up with ideas for videos, but I couldn't find anything that interested me enough to make a video about it. I didn't want to think about it but it was as though Marley had brought some light into my life and now that she was gone, I realized how plain and dull my life really was.

"Ever since that girl left you haven't left the house and come to think of it, I haven't seen you eat much."

"Yeah, dude. I just don't know."

"Don't know what? That you are crazy about her? Because it's pretty obvious that you are."

"I don't have any way of contacting her."

"You didn't even get her number?"

"I gave her mine."

"Oh. And she hasn't called?"

I just shook my head. Why hadn't she called yet? After asking me to spend the night with her on the sofa, did she really not intend to talk to me again? Was she just using me?

"You know what?" said Phil, coming and sitting next to me on the couch. "It doesn't matter why she hasn't called you. Maybe she lost her phone. Maybe she is embarrassed after what happened. Maybe she doesn't feel comfortable asking you for anything else."

"I guess," I responded.

"Hey, maybe she looked you up on YouTube and got distracted by your seductive banana eating and is just stuck on her computer watching that clip on repeat."

"Maybe." I almost smiled. Phil really was a great friend.

"We're going to get her back. Okay? I won't have any more of this mopey Dan. I want happy Dan. I'll help you do whatever you need to."

Phil sat there with me through the night, helping me write, shoot, and edit a video that would get Marley's attention.

**MARLEY POV:**

A week had passed and I still hadn't called him. I would take my phone out every few minutes and start to type his name into the contacts just to see it come up. But I never called. I told myself that it was because I had no reason to call him. He had helped me out and I thanked him and went on my way. But I knew that I wanted to. Maybe it was because I had just broken up with Jake only a few days ago. Maybe it was because I knew that he was sweet and wouldn't want an emotionally damaged, masochistic girl like me around. He deserved better.

In that amount of time, I had watched every single one of his videos and his side channel videos. (I had plenty of time now because I quit my job in an effort to make sure Jake could not find me if he got angry again.) His adorable awkwardness made me smile, but what I liked best were those moments when he would let out a genuine laugh or break into one of his perfect smiles. I checked his channel everyday for a new video. That was where I found myself tonight: on his channel again. But this time, there was a new video. My heart skipped a beat and I eagerly clicked on it.

"Hello Internet," he began. "I know this video is late and I'm sorry. I know a lot of you were thinking I was deathly sick or had actually died, especially after I canceled on YouNow. But rest assured, I am here and healthy." He paused and looked down. "This video," he said, looking back up, "is not going to be a normal video. I wanted to talk about something more serious. Something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. Don't worry, I won't get too philosophical on you…. I wanted to talk about abuse."

My stomach did a flip. _Oh my god. Is he going to talk about me? What the hell?_ I wasn't angry. I was… shocked? And… happy? Shocked at the fact that he would bring up something that had happened between us on YouTube, and happy that he was thinking about me.

"Now, there are two kinds of abuse. Neither of which are acceptable. The first is abuse from others. This could be when anyone, from an enemy to a significant other, makes unwanted physical contact with you or uses abusive words against you. Even if you don't feel like you are being abused at the time, if you look back on it and realized that you are not okay with what happened, it can be abuse. The other kind is abuse from yourself. In many cases, this kind follows after the first. Many people at some point in their lives see themselves as worthless, or undeserving of life. I firstly want to tell you that you are not worthless." My mouth fell open as I heard him repeat the words he had said to me when I left that day. "It is not worth beating yourself up over anything that you have no control over. Either forget about it, or do something about it. I can tell you that self-harm and withdrawing from the world are not the answer. If you feel worthless, do whatever it is that has some power to counteract those feelings. That is what this video is. It is my 'doing something about it.' I'm not going to lie to you. Last week I was… introduced to something special. And it vanished as quickly as it came into my life. I'm still not sure if I will get to, um, experience it ever again. This last week, I have been doing absolutely nothing. I couldn't get myself to make a video or leave the house because I didn't feel… whole. I was mentally beating myself up because I felt like maybe I wasn't worth it."

I was staring open mouthed at the screen. _Holy shit. He's talking about me. This video is about me. _

"I just hope that this video can give any of you who are experiencing any king of abuse the courage do something about it. I have just put myself out in the open. Now it's your turn."

Now its your turn…. The words echoed in my head.

_Its my turn_. I had to call him.

I picked up my phone and hit send.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! I would really appreciate any more input you have for this chapter as well! I have most of it outlined, but if you have any suggestions for scenes you would like to see in the story, I'm open to suggestions. I'm also in the process of writing a one-shot phan fic (like actually Phan with lots of fluffy goodness) and I'm thinking about posting it if you guys would be interested in reading it, so let me know!**

**MARLENA POV:**

Ring.

I wasn't breathing.

Ring.

I could hear my own heart beat.

Ring.

Why was I so nervous?

Ring.

_Come on, Dan. Answer the phone._

Ring.

I hadn't realized how much I needed to hear his voice.

"Hello"

"Dan! I—"

"You have reached Dan Howell. I'm probably sleeping, so leave a message."

Beeeeeep.

I slowly hung up.

I wasn't disappointed. I was determined. Hearing his voice—the voice of the real Dan, not the personality he was on YouTube—made me realize just how much I needed to see him.

And suddenly a title wave of emotions hit me. Screw the fact that I wasn't good enough for him. Screw the fact that I barely knew him. He was beautiful, and sweet: my knight in shining armor. He had saved me. And he had taken care of me. I needed him. I had been resisting calling him because I had been resisting this reality: that even in those few hours we were together, I had felt something. And that was what scared me the most. My mom had done her best to shield me from the worst of my parent's divorce, but looking back on it, she had only saved me from the immediate emotional damage. I could see now that I had always pushed people who cared about me away and my subconscious had restrained my ability to truly care about others. With Jake, I never really loved him and he obviously didn't truly care about me. That's why I had stayed with him. Because he was within my comfort zone; I knew I would not get hurt. Perhaps that was why it was so easy to leave him, and my feelings for him, behind—because there were no real feelings to leave.

But now I was terrified; I was about to take a giant leap out of that comfort zone. I was going to go to Dan's house.

It didn't take me long to find his apartment complex as he did not live too far away from Rachel. I parked and got out of the car, but could not move any farther. I was petrified. I had never let myself feel this way about anyone before. These new emotions made me feel extremely exposed and vulnerable. But suddenly, I heard Dan's voice in my head: "Now it's your turn."

I began to walk, focusing on moving one foot then the other. Almost too soon, I found myself outside of Dan's apartment door. I stood there for a moment then raised my hand to knock when suddenly, the chorus to "Plug in Baby" by Muse blared from my phone. Startled, I looked at it and saw "Dan Howell" written across the screen. He must have been returning my call; I wondered if he had any idea that it was my number. Hitting answer, I said, "There's a surprise for you outside your front door." The line disconnected. A second later, I heard footsteps, then the lock clicked and the door flew open to reveal a very flustered Dan Howell.

"Marley," he breathed, his face splitting into a huge smile when he saw me. I just walked through the door and wrapped my arms around him in the biggest hug I could give. He reciprocated, sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. With my short height, I fit perfectly under his chin. I felt his lips press against my hair and I could hear his heart beat.

After some time, we pulled apart and he promptly grabbed my hand and led me over to the sofa where I had spent the night just over a week ago. I could remember exactly how it felt to have him cuddling me from behind, his warm, almost naked body pressed up against mine. He easily could have taken advantage of me that night; I was an emotional wreck. But he had remained very respectful, for which I was very grateful. Now, I sat sideways on his lap, our arms wrapped around each other. "Thank you for the video and… everything" I said, looking into his deep brown eyes. I could see that he understood that I was not just thanking him for the video but also for rescuing me from my insane ex-boyfriend, and for what he had done for me that night, and for helping me break free of the depression I had spiraled into over the last week.

"I'm just glad you saw it. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't."

"I'm sorry I didn't call you. I just didn't know that you wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see you. Did you enjoy your surprise by the way?" I asked.

"Most definitely," he responded, trailing his large hand down my calf to my ankle where his long fingers began to trance patterns lightly on my skin. "So you like Muse?" asked Dan. I looked at him confused. "Your ring tone," he explained.

"Oh, yeah. They're my favorite."

"Mine too. Most girls I've met don't like them that much."

"Most girls didn't have a big brother who was obsessed with them when they were growing up."

He laughed. "You have a brother? What does he do?"

"He's in America studying abroad right now, actually. He's finishing up his law degree. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, a younger brother. He still lives with my parents and all…." He looked down at me, his deep brown eyes locking with my blue ones. The strength of the connection between us was amazing to me. We had really just met but it felt like we had known each other for a lifetime. "I'm so glad you are here," he said, wrapping his arms more tightly around me.

"Me too." Before sitting there in his arms, I had not realized how much I craved his touch. It sounded silly even in my own thoughts, but it was as though his touch were a drug. I had gotten a little taste when we first met and now I desperately needed more. As I looked up into his eyes, I felt my face lift closer to his. All I could think about was the idea of his full lips moving against mine.

"Whoa there," he whispered, placing a single finger on my hungry lips.

I froze, shocked at what I had been about to do. I normally would never be the kind of girl to make the first move, especially with someone whom I had just met. It was as though Dan had cast some magical spell over me, making my mind forget what it was used to. The shock wore off quickly, however, and was replaced with a feeling of disappointment and embarrassment. I looked down at my hands.

"Hey," he said quietly, lifting my chin up with his hand. "Don't look like that. You know I like you. It's just that we barely know each other. I'm old school. I don't want to rush things too much." With the fingers that were holding my chin, he stroked my cheek. "Look at me," he said. I looked up into his eyes. "You are so beautiful."

His words and the look in his eyes took my breath away. The feelings of disappointment were replaced with ones of wonderment. I had never felt cherished before. But here I was, sitting in Dan's lap, feeling as though I was the only girl in the world. I suddenly understood what he meant in his video when he said he didn't feel whole. Being in his arms, I felt more whole than I could ever remember. I suppressed the thought that this was just my masochism—I was just setting myself up to get hurt.

Repressing these thoughts, I asked playfully, "So, how do you suggest we get to know each other better?"  
"Well, I was just about to ask actually. Do you want to go on a date Friday night? Maybe dinner and a movie?"

"That sounds amazing. I would love to," I said, smiling.

Suddenly, I heard a lock click and a door slam open. "Who wants pizza?!" I looked up to find that the source of the racket was Phil, who had just walked into the lounge carrying a rather large and delicious smelling box.

"Oh, my god! Marley!" Phil stopped in his tracks, his face splitting into a huge grin. "You're back! Dan! Marley's back!" Phil said extremely enthusiastically.

"Yes, Phil. She's back," Dan said with exasperated sarcasm that poorly masked his own joy at the fact.

"Have you asked her to stay for dinner yet?"

"No, I wasn't aware that you were going to be coming back with food any time soon," Dan said, rolling his eyes. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" he asked me politely.

"I don't want to be an imposition."

"Don't even think that! We want you here!" said Phil immediately.

I looked at Phil's eager face and then at Dan who's face was an almost comical combination of chagrin and excitement. "Okay," I agreed.

"Great," said Dan, his face relaxing into an expression of happiness and relief.

I got up from his lap and walked into the kitchen where Phil had placed the pizza on the breakfast bar. "So what kind of pizza did you get for dinner?"

"Veggie lovers with stuffed crust from Pizza Hut," said Phil, opening the box.

"Yum! My favorite!" I said as I heard Dan groan.

"Phil," he whined, "sometimes I think llamas should be your thing and lions should be mine. We aren't herbivores! We need some meat!" he teased.

"You get the pizza next time then," said Phil, unconcerned. He handed me a slice of pizza and I bit into it. It was still warm and very delicious.

After we finished the pizza—an amazing feat considering its size—we sat on the couch and played guitar hero for a few hours. I wasn't very good, but with some help from Dan, I was able to beat Phil. The three of us had a great time. It was amazing how close Dan and Phil were. I had seen them in their videos together, but seeing them interact in person was an entirely different thing. They were relentless with their teasing and it was clear Phil was having fun even though Dan won almost every game. And I myself felt as though I fit right in. They teased me about my terrible guitar hero skills and I threw a few gibes back at them. I did not want to leave but it was getting late and I did not want Rachel sitting up for too long if she was waiting for me.

Dan walked me to my car. "See you on Friday," he said, giving me a hug. "Text me your address and I'll pick you up around 6:30."

"Cant wait." I got in my car and drove off. I was so happy I felt light headed and I had to watch my speed because I was a little too excited.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Dear reviewers, you make me smile :) The second half of this chapter is my original one-shot that I built the entire story from so I'm really excited to finally be uploading it! **

** Also, I have just uploaded a Phanfic (like actual Dan/ Phil Phan) with a very fluffy first chapter and very smutty chapters to follow so if you like that kind of thing, please head over there and check it out and I will send you invisible hugs and cookies!**

Friday couldn't come soon enough, but when it did, my excitement broke through my sleep at 4:30 in the morning. Unable to fall back to sleep, I decided to get out of bed and search pinterest for ideas for my hair and makeup for my date. I spent my morning scrolling through pages and pages of pictures, searching for something that would be the perfect combination of fun and flirty.

After getting back from university, I spent the rest of the day getting ready and nervously pacing back and forth though Rachel's house. I ended up settling on a pretty yet subdued hairstyle—pulled out of my eyes in a few carefully placed braids with long lose curls down the back. I borrowed a plumb colored dress from Rachel that was open in the back and accentuated my slim waist without drawing attention to my admittedly larger thighs. I paired it with some edgy black pumps that looked big but didn't actually make me much taller—I liked that Dan was so much taller than me—and some chunky jewelry to make the outfit look more casual. It was only a first date after all.

I was just putting the finishing touches on my makeup when I heard a knock on the door. Glancing at the clock, I saw that he was perfectly on time. I looked at myself in the mirror, took a deep breath, then went to open the door.

"Hey Dan," I said, my mouth dropping open a second later. He looked like a god. He was leaning up against the doorframe, feet crossed, and hands in his pockets, wearing black skinny jeans and a nice white button up shirt. He smiled at my reaction and I quickly closed my mouth. "You look beautiful… as always," he said. "Shall we?"

"Let me just grab my purse." As I walked the few steps to the couch where my purse was sitting, I used my borderline-wanna-be-runway-model walk. I put a little extra sway in my hips, making full use of the perfect dress I was wearing. When I turned around, Dan's mouth was now hanging open and it was clear he had been staring. Mission accomplished. He was still speechless when I got back to the door and he just held it open for me as I walked through, smiling to myself.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked when we were in the car.

"Well I have reservations at one of my favorite restaurants. Phil and I go there all the time to celebrate things. Birthdays, 100,000 more subscribers, you know. The usual. Then I was thinking we could go see the new Avengers, if you're into that kind of movie?"

"Oh my god, I have been dying to see it! Robert Downey Jr. is my favorite actor ever!"

"Isn't he amazing? But I have to say, Chris Hemsworth is freaking incredible as Thor."

We continued to talk about the Avengers throughout most of dinner and by the time it was time for the movie, I could not have been more excited. It turned out to be the perfect first date movie too; there were no awkward romantic scenes to sit through (always weird when you are with someone you just met) and it was it was action-packed enough to keep either of us from getting bored but not so intense that we were too distracted to whisper to each other throughout the entire movie. Adorably, under the pretense of pulling me closer to whisper something to me in the middle of the movie, Dan put his arm around me. I snuggled up comfortably to his shoulder and stayed that way for the rest of the movie, tiling my head up occasionally to whisper in his ear, while his fingers drew delicate patterns on my arm.

After the movie, neither of wanted to return home, so we decided to take a walk through the park. As we walked along the winding pavement, Dan casually slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. The streetlights sparkled off the dew that was already beginning to settle on the grass. I thought that our first date had gone well so far. Dan was very easy to talk to and I found that whenever there was a lull in conversation, it was a comfortable silence as opposed to an awkward one. I looked up at Dan and smiled. He really was gorgeous and not nearly as awkward as he made himself seem in his videos. And as I looked up at his face, I could not help but wonder what his lips would feel like on mine.

Suddenly, I felt a drop of water land on my nose. Then another on my arm. Dan and I looked at each other in alarm. It had started to rain.

"Oh no," I groaned.

"Come here." I saw Dan's eyes turn playful. He grabbed my hand and began to run through the park, pulling me with him.

"Dan, where are we going?" I giggled.

"To find shelter, of course," he replied.

We ran hand-in-hand through the grass until he slowed and pulled me under the biggest tree. By that time, the rain was pouring down hard. We stood there giggling for a moment and he wrapped his arms around me to shield me from the drops that were beginning to fall through the leaves.

As the exhilaration wore off and our laughter died down, the atmosphere changed. I looked up at him and saw that playful Dan was gone. His warm chocolate-brown eyes burned into mine and I was suddenly acutely aware of our proximity and the placement of his hands on my bare back. His usually immaculately straightened hair was becoming wavy because of the rain. I had to stop myself from reaching up and running my hands through that adorable curly mess.

He reached up with his left hand and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, leaving my skin burning where he trailed his fingers over my forehead, past my ear, and down my neck. He ran his hand down my arm and moved both of his hands to my waist. Slowly and without breaking eye contact, he pushed me backwards until my back was against the tree trunk. Taking my right hand in his left, he brought it up to his mouth and, closing his eyes, kissed each of my fingers delicately before turning my hand over and pressing his lips into my palm. He then placed my hand on his chest as he stepped even closer to me, effectively closing the gap between us. He looked into my eyes again as if asking my permission. I wouldn't have been able to move even if I had wanted to. I could feel his heart pounding but it was nothing compared to how hard mine was beating. I was completely enthralled in Dan and the deepness of his gaze.

Ever so slowly, he lowered his face toward mine. I closed my eyes and moved fractionally closer to him in response, waiting for his kiss. My eyes flew open and a shiver ran down my spine as, instead of feeling his lips on mine, I felt his tongue flick across my cheek, whisking away a raindrop that had landed there. He let out a low chuckle at my response and he nuzzled his face into mine. He kissed my cheek softly once… twice… three times. Each time getting closer and closer to my mouth, stopping just at the corner of my lips.

Just when I thought he was going to kiss me, he pulled back and rested his forehead on mine. It was torture having his lips that close to mine; I could taste his sweet breath and I felt its warmth wash over my cheeks. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned his head and with ever so sweet delicacy, his lips locked with mine. It was as though the hands of time had stopped. The sound of the rain faded from my ears and all I could comprehend was his soft lips moving in perfect synchrony with my own.

Eventually, we pulled apart. Dan looked at me through his long eyelashes. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice made my heart stop. One delicate kiss was no longer enough. I moved my hand up from his chest and wound my fingers through his curly hair, pulling his face back down to mine. This time when our lips met, it was anything but delicate. I could feel him smile as I deepened the kiss. His tongue snaked through my lips and danced slowly with mine. With his large hands on the small of my back, he pulled my body in tighter to his. Our hands explored each other: mine running over his chest through his now curly hair, his traveling from my waist to my neck and back down my spine.

Breathless, I broke the kiss. Dan just looked at me and smiled, "you never cease to surprise me."

All I could do was smile back.

Until he kissed me again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Please let me know what you think of this chapter! I really love it when you take the time to just say a little something :) And if you haven't yet, please go check out my Phanfic called "Please." Its about to get smutty so if you like that, its there for your reading pleasure.**

**MARLEY POV:**

When the rain finally let up, we made our way back to Dan's car. It was late and I was soaking wet so I opted to go straight back to Rachel's.

"You must have watched my videos," Dan said to me in the car.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Because your hands stayed clear of my neck."

"Oh, yeah." I was not entirely sure how to respond. I didn't exactly want him knowing that I had spent the past week obsessively watching every singly video he had ever been in. "Why don't you like people touching your neck?"

"Its just…. I'm just not comfortable with people touching me there," he said, glancing over at me. I could tell there was more to the story, but I didn't want to push him. It was only a first date after all and if he wanted to tell me, he would tell me.

When we got to Rachel's apartment, he walked me to her door. "Thank you so much for the evening. I really had a great time," I said.

"My pleasure." And he leaned in and kissed me once more before he turned to go. "I'll call you," he called as he jogged back down the stairs.

My head was spinning as I walked into the apartment. I had had an amazing night. Dan wasn't at all as awkward as he made himself out to be in his videos. He was actually very confident in himself. He was not as dominating as Jake, but he was still very manly. What I liked best was how he treated me. He was the perfect gentleman and treated me like a lady, but not in a way that made me feel subservient or inferior. Dan was so… perfect. He made me feel like… well, he made me _feel_. He made me realize that I had never really _felt_ before. It was a strange combination of exhilaration and terror. It was like taking a step off the edge of a cliff and being unsure of how deep the water was below.

"Marley!" Rachel came bounding out of her room, interrupting my thoughts. "So? How did the date go?"

"To tell you the truth, it was pretty perfect," I smiled. Rachel loved gossip and when she had found out that I was going on a date with one of the biggest YouTube stars, she wouldn't shut up about it. I made her swear not to tell anyone though. I didn't want Dan's subscribers to find out about me before he told them.

"Well, what happened? What did you guys do?"

I recapped the date for her. She went ballistic when I told her that he kissed me in the rain. "Oh. My. God. Marley! That is so _romantic!_ You better be seeing him again." Her tone was almost threatening and I laughed.

"Of course I am!"

"When?"

"I'm not sure. He said he would call me."

"Okay. That's good. You don't want to seem too desperate. Ugh, I can't believe you just went on a date with Danisnotonfire! I'm so jealous!"

"Rachel, you have a boyfriend already," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, but, he's not famous!"

All I could do was laugh. I knew Rachel loved her boyfriend, Finn—they had been together for almost two years—but sometimes she seemed to forget about him when she obsessed over various famous men.

She wanted to stay and rehash our entire date again but I insisted that I needed some sleep. I ignored her pouty face as I headed for the shower.

**DAN POV:**

As I climbed back into my car, I couldn't believe that the last few hours had been real. Marley was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Inside and out. And she was an Avengers nerd! I couldn't wait to tell Phil. As I drove home, I vaguely wondered about all the other things I had yet to discover about her.

I walked into my apartment to find Phil playing Sonic. It was a testament to our friendship that he paused the game to ask me how the date went.

"At the risk of sounding like a twat, I told you so," he said when I finished.

"Yeah, you did," I said, grabbing a second controller and plopping down on the couch beside Phil. "Thanks dude."

"I'm just happy for you Dan. You deserve this."

"Okay, enough talk. More videogames," I said, unpausing the game.

We played until 2:00 in the morning at which point I decided to stop and check all my social networking sites before I went to bed. As I lay there, I went through the few texts Marley and I had exchanged before our date.

*Can't wait* she had said. Seeing that text again made me smile.

I decided to text her before I fell asleep.

*I had a great time with you tonight. Can't wait to see you again :)*

I hit send and fell asleep.

**MARLEY POV:**

My day could not have been going any worse. I had woken up with a smile on my face after reading Dan's text, but by the time I sat down to eat my cereal, I was beginning to become really stressed out. In the week after I had first met Dan, I had done absolutely no schoolwork because I was too busy moping around the house and watching Dan's videos. But my pile of textbooks on Rachel's kitchen counter reminded me that I had a lot of studying to do to prepare for a set of exams that were coming up on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. On top of that, I got a call telling me that something had gone wrong in the fumigation of my apartment so I would not be able to move back until some future unspecified time.

As soon as I as done with breakfast, I packed up the textbooks and drove down to the library where I knew I could be most effective studying. When I got there, however, it was closed to the public for the weekend for some big rich-people event. Not in the mood to drive around and find another library, I walked to the nearest Starbucks where I managed to find a small table in the back corner.

Dan called me around midday to ask if I wanted to get together on Sunday. I explained my situation and told him I would likely be sitting on Rachel's couch all day with my nose in a textbook. I felt awful saying no but I knew he understood. I spent the rest of the day trying and failing to study efficiently. I kept recalling the night before and how perfect it had been, not being able to help thinking about how his touch had burned my skin and how his breath was intoxicating. It was very distracting.

Around 6:00 I finally gave up trying to study and decided to just go home. I cooked myself some dinner and curled up on the couch to watch of Dan's videos before I went to bed.

The next morning, I woke up determined to power through my studying. I threw my hair up in a messy bun, put on some sweat pants, plopped myself down on the couch, and flipped open a textbook.

I was just finishing my review of the material for Wednesday when I heard a knock on the door. Confused, I got up and answered it.

I opened the door to see Dan standing there in an adorable white knit sweater.

"Dan, what are you doing here?" I asked, giving him a hug.

"I thought it was my turn to surprise you, and I thought that you could use a study buddy," he said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. "And some study snacks." He pulled out a giant bag of Maltesers from his bag.

I laughed. "You're studying? I thought you were done with school."

"Okay, it will be just you studying, but I do have a video I need to edit. I won't distract you. Promise."

I rolled my eyes. He distracted me even when he was not there. I spent a lot of my study time staring off into space thinking about him. But now that he was here, I could not ever imagine wanting to ask him to leave. "Okay," I responded, leading him over to the couch.

When he sat down, I kicked my feet up onto his lap and prepared myself to start working again. "You better not distract me," I warned, teasingly.

He mimed zipping his lips closed and throwing away the key. Taking his computer out and putting on his headphones, he began his own work and I resumed mine.

Every so often, I would glance up at Dan's perfect profile. I could not believe he had just shown up to just hang out with me and work. It was the cutest thing ever. It made my stomach fill with butterflies. And despite the huge distraction sitting right in front of me, I managed to be even more productive than I had planned.

Dan eventually leaned his head back and fell asleep. He looked so peaceful that I let him stay there until it was late and I had finished my work.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I have been trying to update every week since I started this fic but I'm not sure how well I'm going to be able to do that anymore. My other Phan fic has been a lot more time consuming, but I'm going to try to find a balance so I don't have to stop working on either one. Again, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter :) they made me smile. And I would really appreciate any feedback on this chapter as well. **

Dan joined me again on Monday. It was nice having him there while I worked, even if we didn't talk that much. Though I wouldn't have minded studying alone, having him there was much better. It was like when I was 8; I didn't need my teddy bear, but it was a lot more comforting having him with me. Now, however, my teddy bear was warm and smelled nice and had an adorable dimple and a breathtaking smile.

"What are you working on?" I asked, peaking over at his laptop during one of my study breaks.

"Just going through emails for the our Spooky Happenings on the Super Amazing Project. Its mental how many submissions we get. A lot of them are funny but some of them are such crap, you wouldn't believe it."

"Have you found any good ones so far?"

"Yeah. There's this girl who found a closet of decapitated dolls in the back of her English teacher's closet."

"That's really disturbing!"

"Yeah. Her pain, our pleasure though," he laughed, causing that adorable dimple to appear.

When Dan left that night, he gave me a long, deep kiss before leaving the apartment. This effectively derailed my studying so I went to bed, trying as hard as I could to make my heart rate return to normal.

Later the next day he called to let me know that he would stop bugging me for the next few days so that he couldn't be held responsible if I failed my exams. I studied as hard as physically and mentally possible. It was the first exam that I was dreading the most. It was Chemistry. I had always loved the sciences, but for some reason or another, I was struggling to understand what was going on in class. I could have been due to the fact that the professor was terrible and I spent the entire class doodling in my notebook, but right now the reason did not matter. All that I cared about was cramming as much of it into my head as I could.

Wednesday morning came too quickly. I jerked awake when the alarm on my phone went off and realized that I had fallen asleep on the couch. I tried to cram some last minute studying in while I ate my breakfast but it was pretty ineffective. I got to class 10 minutes early and fidgeted nervously in my seat until the professor handed out the exam and said, "You have two hours. Ready, begin."

Flipping the paper over, I looked at the first question. Not even recognizing the figure there, I immediately looked at number two. I groaned inwardly. That one was almost as confusing as the first. By the end of the two hours, I had managed to work my way through most of the questions but I hadn't been sure about practically any of my answers. The only hope I had left was that everyone else did just as poorly as I had so the curve would end up in my favor. I thought that was unlikely.

*How did it go?* Dan texted me after I had finished.

*It could have been better :/* I responded.

*I'm sure you did better than you think. Don't think about it anymore. You can't change it so just focus on what's ahead. I'm sure you will do fantastic tomorrow!*

*Good advice. Thanks, Dan :)*

*Any time. I'm here for you.*

My linear algebra exam on Thursday did go a lot better. I was good at math and I breezed through the exam. I laughed as I saw my friend Tina's shocked expression as I turned in my test early. I felt a little bad for her; she was struggling in the class, not because she was bad at math, but because she was hardcore crushing on the professor. I had to admit that he was fairly attractive. But he had nothing on Dan.

On Friday, I could not wait to get my last exam over with. It was English Literature and all we had to do was write an essay. I took my time, not wanting my desire to have it behind me cause me to make careless errors or leave out important information. When I finally dropped the paper into the pile, I felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I could not help but smile a little to myself with a sense of accomplishment as I walked out of the door. I had not taken more than three steps out of the door when I heard my name being called in an unmistakable voice. I turned to see Dan walking toward me.

"Dan!" I squealed as I ran up to him, throwing my arms around him.

He picked me up and spun me around in a circle. "I thought we should celebrate your being done with your exams. Want to go get some ice cream?"

"I could never say no to ice cream," I said, taking his hand.

He took me to a small ice cream shop that had the best ice cream I had ever tasted. We sat there chatting and people watching, just enjoying each other's company.

"So why did you quit your job," he asked me suddenly.

I chewed on the tip of my spoon for a bit before answering. "Because of Jake. I didn't want him to come find me after what happened. I was afraid he would come back and hit me again."

"Oh. I see."

"How did you know I quit?"

I saw a hint of color creep into his cheeks and he looked down. "When you didn't call me, after a few days I went back to the store to try to find you, and they told me."

"Oh." Now it was my turn to blush. "I'm sorry I didn't call you."

"Why didn't you?" he asked, looking straight into my eyes.

The intensity of his gaze threw me off. In his deep chocolate brown eyes I saw a mix of emotions: confusion, curiosity, anxiety… hurt. "I don't know…. I—I guess I didn't want to be a burden. I didn't think you would really care," I said, hoping he would believe my white lie. What I said was not untrue, but I knew that the real reason I had not called him was because I was scared. Scared of falling for him. Scared he would leave me alone and hurt like my dad had done to my family.

Dan slid his chair over next to mine, picked me up, and put me on his lap. "Marley," he said, wrapping his arms around me, "I cared more than you will ever know. From the moment I saw you in that store, you brought something special into my life." Reaching up, he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and stroked my cheek with his thumb. "Okay?"

My blue eyes met his brown ones and I leaned in and kissed him in response. His gentle response quickly turned into a passionate kiss. I was vaguely aware that we were probably making the other people in the ice cream shop uncomfortable, but right then I did not care. It felt good to be there in Dan's arms.

But I just hoped that he could not taste the doubt on my lips. I knew that he meant what he said now, but that did not mean that tomorrow he would not wake up and realize that I was not worth it. Even I knew I was not worth it. If I were, Jake would never have hit me. If I were, my dad would never have left.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: New chapter yay! Please let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is extremely welcome! **

**MARLEY POV:**

When I got back home, I was exhausted. I was mentally drained from all of my studying over the past week and emotionally drained from my talk with Dan. All I wanted to do was curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and watch a few episodes of Dr. Who before going to sleep.

I had just turned on the teakettle when Rachel walked into the room.

_Oh no, _I groaned inwardly. I was not in the mood to recount my day with Dan to Rachel right now.

"Marley, can I talk to you for a sec?" Rachel looked sheepish. _Maybe this isn't about Dan_.

"Sure, Rachel. What's up?"

"Do you know when your apartment is going to be finished?"

"Um, I think it might take a few more weeks. Why?"

"Well," she began, looking down at her hands, which she was wringing in front of her. _Oh great. Here comes bad news_. "My landlord is very… strict with the maximum number of people per apartment thing. And since Finn has been spending so much time here, my landlord told me that someone has to move out."

What was I supposed to do? I did not have an apartment and my other friends from school already had roommates so they had no room for me.

Rachel looked up and saw my expression. "You don't have to if you don't want to!" She said quickly. "I can just stay at Finn's more often. It was just that he works here and it's more convenient for both of us. But seriously, don't worry about it."

"No, I'll find another place," I said. "Don't worry about me. I don't want to get in the way of the perfect couple," I said smiling. Rachel and Finn really were perfect. His ability to remain calm was a perfect match for her constant bubbly enthusiasm. I honestly did not want to come between them, but I had no idea where I was supposed to go. "Just give me a week or so to figure something out."

"You're the best, Marley," Rachel said, giving me a huge hug.

_Shit_

**DAN POV:**

When I got home from my date with Marley, I realized that I still had a video to upload. I had plenty of time before Friday would be over, but I wanted to get it up as soon as possible. Whenever my videos were uploaded too close to my "deadline" my subscribers would get a little angry and I did not want my Danosaurs throwing a fit tonight and ruining my good mood. I went straight to my computer and began to go through the video, making last minute edits before I uploaded it. I tried to focus but I could not stop thinking about Marley.

"Dan, will you keep it down in there?! I'm trying to shoot a video!" Phil yelled from his room.

I hadn't realized I had been singing Toxic at the top of my lungs. Awkward.

"You really have it bad for her, don't you?" I turned around to see Phil standing in my doorway.

"I thought you were filming."

"It can wait," he said, walking over and plopping down on my bed.

I hit the upload button, knowing I was not going to be able to perfect the video any more, and went over and sat down next to Phil.

"Yeah, dude…. I don't know. She's really great." I sighed. Actually thinking about how I felt about Marley was almost overwhelming.

"She makes you happy?"

"Beyond happy."

"Dan," I could hear hesitation in Phil's voice, "just be careful, okay? If something starts to go wrong, come to me first. We don't want any… old habits to resurface."

I felt a twinge of annoyance. I had only just started seeing Marley a week ago. Did he really not have any faith in our relationship? When I looked over at him though, my annoyance faded. His look of concern reminded me that the friend who had practically saved my life a few years ago was still here with me. It meant a lot that he still worried about me and was still just as determined to keep me from reverting to my old ways as he had been to save me from them in the first place.

"Thanks, Phil," I said, giving him a big and grateful hug.

I had no idea where I would have ended up without Phil. _Probably dead_, said a small voice in my head, which I quickly pushed away. It had never been _that_ bad, but a part of me had always been worried it would escalate or that one day I might just lose control. Phil had saved me from that. He had taken me in and shown me the light. He got me into YouTube. The additional support from my subscribers was enough to keep me from returning to the "dark side," as I liked to think of it. I owed Phil my career and my life.

When I pulled away I realized that I had tears in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away so Phil would not notice. If he did, he did not say anything, which I greatly appreciated. I was not particularly interested in discussing the matter further.

"Hey, do you want to be in my video for a bit?" Phil asked me.

I was not sure if he was asking just to cheer me up, or because he actually needed me, but I said, "Sure."

"Awesome. I'm almost done, but I just had a few more things to say."

We went into his room and I sat down on his bed next to him. Phil and I had filmed so many videos together that he did not even bother to tell me what his video was about this time, trusting that I would catch on.

He hit record and began talking.

"So it's been raining a lot lately. Rain dance." Phil began to do wave his hands around and wiggle his fingers, imitating rain. I immediately jumped up, turned around and wiggled my butt at the camera. My pants were falling down, and I knew the comments would be filled with things like, "Omg guys, Dan has no butt!" and "Dan, get a belt you slut!" but I did not care one bit. I knew they loved it.

"But on the plus side, I'm an internet person, so its not like I have to leave the house," Phil continued. I sat there while he finished the video, interjecting where I thought it was appropriate.

When I called Marley the next day, she said she could not hang out because she had to look for a new apartment to stay in temporarily. I wanted to offer to have her stay at my place, but I thought that it would be pushing it a little too far. We had only really been dating about a week and I did not think it was very appropriate to move in with someone after such a short amount of time.

I was disappointed that I would not see her this weekend, but I used the opportunity to catch up on some stuff I had been neglecting. Phil and I had some major work to do for the radio show. And on top of that, I had about one million VYou questions to go through and I had to find a good outfit for my next YouNow. I knew it did not really matter, but I put a lot of thought into what I was going to wear for my videos. I had to make sure that I never wore the same thing in a bunch of videos close to each other. Plus I kind of had a thing for fashion….


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This chapter is a little longer than most but I couldn't find a good place to end the chapter any sooner. Please review and let me know what you think! Seriously, any suggestions for improvement are welcome :)**

**MARLEY POV:**

I spent my entire weekend looking around for apartments to move into. I spent forever looking online and then I drove around London for a while. It was tedious and I ended up not finding anything suitable for human life. Overall, my weekend was uneventful. The only bright spot was when I got a text from Dan saying, *Missing you.*

Monday morning was dreary. I had to drag myself out of bed and I made myself a cup of coffee before putting on my raincoat and heading out the door to go to university. Rain splattered all around me and sloshed under my shoes as I ran to my car. When I managed to clamber in, I immediately started it and cranked up the heat. The steady rain and regular thumping of my windshield wipers almost put me back to sleep. When I reached the parking lot, all I wanted to do was turn around and drive back home. I sat there in my warm car for a good ten minutes debating over whether to go out in the rain and go to class or just go home for the day.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

*Making spaghetti for dinner tonight. Wanna come over around 7?*

It was Dan. All of a sudden, the pounding rain and oppressive clouds did not bother me. It was as though the sun had come out. I quickly responded with a *I would love to.* With my thoughts of Dan protecting me from the rain, I stepped out of my car and headed to class.

Not seconds after opening the door to my math class, I was assaulted by a mass of black hair that started jumping up and down in front of me. When Tina finally calmed down, I could distinguish the giant smile on her face and disbelieving and awed look in her eyes. "How come you didn't tell me you were dating Danisnotonfire?!" she said loudly.

"Shhhhh!" I said, trying to quiet her down. I did not want the whole world knowing that we were dating because I knew Dan would get a lot of crap about it from his fans. "No one is supposed to know about that! How did you find out? You haven't told anyone have you?"

"I saw you guys after class on Friday. And no, I haven't told anyone, but oh my gosh, Marley! When did this happen?"

"Um, we met about two weeks ago," I said, wishing she would speak a little softer.

"He is so gorgeous! I'm so jealous!"

Thankfully our professor walked into the room at that moment and we had to quietly take our seats. That did not stop Tina from passing notes to me all throughout the class asking for details about Dan. I told her as much as I could without sacrificing Dan's—or my—privacy.

"What happened to Jake?" she wrote.

I stared at the paper, unsure of how to answer. "We broke up," I wrote simply.

"After you met Dan?"

"Yeah."

"Did you break up with him because of Dan?"

"Nope. I just realized that Jake was a douche bag."

"Oh, sorry…. But at least you got Dan out of it, right?"  
"Yeah :)" The thought made me smile. It seemed like everything I had been doing with my life had guided me toward Dan. From going to university in London, to meeting Jake, to having Jake punch me in the face. If fate could be this kind to me, I realized that I should stop hesitating and start doing.

"How serious are you guys?"

"Well, we only just met, but I feel like it's more serious than Jake and I ever were."

"Have you guys…"

I rolled my eyes. She should know that I was not the kind of girl to jump in bed with a guy that I had only really been dating for about a week. "No, not yet."

"You should fix that ;)"

I had to laugh at that. Tina was not exactly a slut but she was definitely freer with her sexuality that I was. "Lol! Thanks for the advice, Tina."

"Always here for you."

I rolled my eyes again at her response. But I could not help but think about what she had just said. Of course I thought Dan was extraordinarily sexy but I had not really got around to thinking about actually having sex with him yet. But now the idea was in my head and I could not stop images of us together from flooding into my head. I imagined what it would be like to have his large hands running up and down my naked body as he kissed my neck. The thought of his lips touching every square inch of my skin gave me goosebumps. And I wanted to run my hands over his chest; I wanted to feel his strong, bare arms wrapped around me. I imagined how it would feel to hear our breathing grow louder and more ragged as we slowly climbed higher and higher together toward release.

Tina hitting my arm broke my reverie. "Daydreaming about Dan?"

I blushed, realizing that class had ended and I had not even noticed. "Shut up," I responded, but I could not hide the smile on my face.

I spent the rest of my day in school fantasizing about Dan. It was amazing how quickly my day had turned around. I woke up dreading the day but I was now perfectly content to sit in class and daydream. And I was even more excited to get home and get ready for dinner with Dan. When I was finally dismissed from my last class, I practically ran to my car. Throwing my backpack into the passenger seat, I started the engine and threw the car into reverse.

Before I could step on the gas however, my phone rang. Frustrated, I put the car back in park, but thinking it could be Dan, I scrambled to get my phone before it went to voicemail.

"Dan?" I answered.

There was a pause.

"Guess again."

_Shit_. I glanced at my phone to check and my worst fear was confirmed. It was Jake.

"Jake," I said, my mouth going dry.

"Marley, can we talk?"

"I don't know what there is to talk about Jake. You hit me. I left you."

"Don't you blame—" He cut himself off, taking deep breaths to steady his voice. "Sorry. I'm sorry, Marley. I have never regretted anything more in my life. I miss you. I love you."

"Jake…. Can't you see why I don't trust you anymore?"

"I made a mistake, Marley. Why can't you forgive me?"

"A mistake?" I asked indignantly. "You knocked me out! And you used to threaten me all the time. That's hardly a mistake. I'm not having this conversation with you again Jake. We are over."

"Can I at least see you?"

"No."

"Just think about it, okay?"  
"Bye, Jake."

"Who's Dan?"

"I said _bye_." I hung up angrily. I could not believe he had the nerve to call me after what he did. And to ask for forgiveness? I was fuming as I threw the car back into reverse and quickly exited the parking lot. I had to force myself to calm down as I drove home so I would not get in an accident. As I forced my anger to dissipate however, I felt a new emotion take its place. It was doubt.

What if his apology was sincere? What if he _could_ make sure that it never happened again? Would it be so bad to still be with him? I had enjoyed the year I spent being his girlfriend, hadn't I? It would feel so normal to go back to him. I might be scared of being hit, but it would still feel like home to be in his arms.

When I reached Rachel's apartment, I got unsteadily out of my car and made my way into my room. Just then, my phone buzzed.

*Do you mind if Phil and his girlfriend join us for dinner? It will be like a double date ;)*

An overwhelming wave of sickening guilt crashed over me.

*That's fine* I managed to respond before my eyes flooded with tears.

I felt like I had betrayed him by even thinking about Jake. He was the sweetest person ever and did not deserve to be with someone who was so broken as I was. I was like a moth to a flame. I felt myself being pulled back to Jake because he was familiar. I had been with him so long that it felt natural to be with him. Dan on the other hand was practically a stranger. I loved his personality but I did not really _know_ him. I had no way of knowing where Dan and I would be in our relationship a month from now, or even a week from now. Why was it worth taking the risk when I could so easily return to what I knew?

But as I sat there on the edge of my bed, head in my hands, and tears pouring out through the cracks in my fingers, I realized something. At that moment, it was not Jake that I wanted there to comfort me. It was Dan. I wanted more than anything to curl up on Dan's lap and have him hold me. I wanted to feel his arms wrapped around me and have his hands soothingly stroke my shoulders. I wanted to feel his delicate touch on my face as he wiped away my tears.

This realization brought me back to earth. I willed myself to stop crying and attempted to dry my face with my sleeve. Blinking away the remaining tears, the time on my alarm clock came into focus. With a start, I realized that I was about to be late for dinner with Dan. I quickly jumped up, changed into a nice pair of jeans and a fuzzy, light blue sweater that matched my eyes. When I went to put on my makeup, I saw that my eyes were red and puffy and my face was all splotchy. I did my best to cover it up with makeup and prayed that I would look more normal by the time I got to Dan's.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: As always, please let me know what you think! Reviews/ critiques/ constructive criticism is very welcome! Seriously, I appreciate each and every review :)**

**MARLEY POV:**

When I knocked on the door, Dan answered and his expression immediately melted from one of joy to one of concern.

"Marley, what's wrong?"

I stepped through the door and wrapped my arms around him. "I'll tell you later," I whispered in his ear. He held me there for a second, clearly concerned, and I had to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over again.

When he released me, he gently took me by the hand and led me into the kitchen where Phil and his girlfriend were sitting at the breakfast bar.

"Hey Marley!" said Phil, jumping off his seat to give me a quick hug. "This is my girlfriend Quinn."

Quinn stood up and shook my hand. She had short blond hair and perfectly delicate features. "It's nice to meet you," she said.

"You too," I responded. I felt a little awkward standing next to her. She was gorgeous; and I was… me. As if sensing my discomfort, Dan came over and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Dinner will be ready in like five minutes," he said to everyone.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked.

"No, you just sit down and relax." He kissed my cheek and went back to the stove where our meal was cooking.

I took the seat that he indicated opposite Phil and Quinn at the bar. Minutes later, I had a glass of red wine and a plate full of spaghetti sitting in front of me. I was surprised at how good the dinner was; I had not expected Dan to be a good cook. Then I remembered all of his baking videos on YouTube and asked, "Is this a Delia Smith recipe?"

Dan and Phil both laughed. "No," said Dan. "We only really use her cookbook when we're cooking for YouTube. This is mostly Phil's mom's recipe, with a bit of my own twist."

Over the course of dinner, I learned that Quinn was American. She had gone to Yale University to study theater and after graduation, she went to London to pursue acting further. She and Phil had met working on a film called Faintheart. Quinn's personality reminded me a lot of Rachel's; though Quinn was more reserved, she seemed to have the same enthusiasm and general excitement for life.

When subject of our conversation turned to my background, needless to say, I felt a little uncomfortable. My life was not all that exciting and I managed to explain it only with a lot of umm's and uhh's. Thankfully Dan jumped in and saved the day by offering desert.

When Dan finished dishing the ice cream, Phil said, "I think we are going to go enjoy this in my room."

"It was nice meeting you," said Quinn, who smiled at me then quickly skipped after her boyfriend to his room.

"They are fun to hang out with but they could be a little more discreet sometimes," said Dan, rolling his eyes.

I did not respond, but just watched them disappear through the door. They seemed like one of the happiest couples I had ever seen. They finished each other's sentences and when they looked at each other, it was so intimate that I felt compelled to look away most of the time. The crushing realization that I had never truly had that kind of relationship reminded me of Jake's call earlier and it took everything I had to keep from crying again.

"What's wrong, love?" Dan whispered, taking my hands in his.

"I, um… It's…." I was unable to continue. My throat was constricting and my vision was becoming blurry.

"Come here," said Dan. He released one of my hands and held tightly to the other, pulling me off my chair and through the hallway of his flat. _Are we going to his bedroom?_ As tempting as it was, the call from Jake had ruined my immediate desire to live out any of my fantasies about Dan from earlier. When we entered his room, he sat me down on the side of the bed, flicked on the lamp, and came and sat down next to me.

"Are you okay," he prompted. Reaching up, he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

I looked down at my hands, unable to make eye contact with him. "Jake called," I managed to choke out.

It took Dan a second to respond. "And?"

"He said he wanted to get back together with me. He apologized for hitting me." I took a deep, steadying breath.

"I see. And what did you say?" I could hear the apprehension in Dan's voice.

"I said no…. But…."

"You thought about saying yes?" His voice came out in a barely audible whisper but I could still hear the hurt behind his words.

I looked up at him and nodded, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Dan." His face was painted with a million different emotions. I recognized a few as pain and confusion. It dawned on me that the pain could only stem from the fact that he truly cared about me; I felt a need to continue explaining myself. "It's just that we were together so long, it has been hard learning to live my life without him. You know? But after I thought about it, I realized that the only person I really wanted to be with was you. I wanted _you_ there to help me through it. Not Jake. I think he just scared me when he called and that confused me and then I started thinking things that I shouldn't and I don't even know what was going through my head—"

"Shhhhh…" said Dan. Moving himself closer, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest, effectively stifling my babbling.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and said, "I'm sorry," one more time.

"It's okay, love. I understand. All that matters is that you're here with me now."

**DAN POV: **

I held Marley close to me; partially to comfort her and partially so she would not see the expression on my face, which I knew was contorted into a look of anger, hurt, confusion, and many other emotions that I could not name. Even though I understood how Marley felt, and she had said she did not want to be with Jake, I could not help but feel inadequate. Maybe it really would be good for her to be with someone who she was familiar with. Someone who really knew her. Someone who could get her favorite ice cream for her when she was upset. Someone she felt comfortable talking to about anything. Someone who knew exactly how she liked her coffee in the morning. Someone who knew if she even drank coffee. How could I possibly take the place of someone she was with for so long? How could she possibly love me when I really did not have anything to offer?

But as Marley's sobs quieted down and we sat there locked in an embrace, I realized that even though I was not worthy, I still had to try. I vowed to myself that I would not let her go. I would not let that bastard who had punched her in the face take her from me.

As I made my resolution, I looked down at Marley to see she had fallen asleep. I immediately felt sympathy for her and her situation. She must have been exhausted from everything she had been through today. I carefully scooped her up in my arms and laid her down on my bed, placing a pillow under her head.

Pausing for a second, I gazed down at her. She looked sweetly angelic with her long brown hair pooling around her face and flowing over her shoulders and her chest rising and falling gently. Was it wrong of me to let her sleep here? The last thing I wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable should she wake up to realize that she was sleeping in a stranger's bed. But I did not want to wake her from her much-needed rest. And she _had_ spent the night in my apartment before. Grabbing an extra blanket from my cabinet, I carefully draped it over her and decided to let her sleep. I wrote a brief note, placed it next to her, and walked into the living room.

I had planned to sleep on the couch, but I was restless. Thoughts of insecurities, of Marley asleep in the room next to me, of psycho ex-boyfriends, of her bell-like laugh whirled around in my head, taking turns occupying my mind. A few times throughout the night, I got up to check on Marley. Every time I peaked thought the door, I breathed a sigh of relief to see that she was sleeping peacefully. My conscience assuaged, I would return to the couch only to have recursive thoughts return.

Exhausted, I finally managed to fall into a dreamless sleep in the early hours of the morning.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for all the amazing reviews on the last chapter! You guys keep me motivated to keep writing! I hope the fluff in this chapter makes up for my lack of updates recently. If this one doesn't do the trick, I'm sure the next few chapters will ;) **

**Marley POV:**

I stood in the shade of a big English yew, surrounded by tall grass that tickled my bare calves. The shade was cool, though not unpleasant. Still, I found myself wanting to venture out of the almost overbearing branches of the tree into the sunshine. I took a few steps forward, away from the trunk but just as I reached the edge of the shade, I felt a tugging at my ankle. Upon peering down through the grass, I discovered that a thin red ribbon was tied around me. I was unable to untie it so I traced it back to its origin. The ribbon was connected to a small branch extending from near the base of the tree and when I tried to remove it from there, I found that this end too was unable to be untied. Puzzled, I tugged at the ribbon, now more desperate to get into the sunshine than ever. Just when I was about to give up, a small creature unlike anything I had ever seen came bounding through the sunny field beyond the tree. It came to a halt at the edge of the shade and gazed up at me as if pondering my presence in this strange place then leapt over to the trunk. To my surprise, the creature began to chew the base of the branch that I was tethered to. I watched as the branch slowly broke off and I was released from the tree, though the branch was still tied to my ankle.

Just as quickly as the creature approached, it took off across the field. I watched as it ran to the top of a small knoll then turned around to look at me as if asking "Are you coming or what?"

Smiling a little at its almost cheeky expression, I stepped cautiously out of the shade and felt glorious warmth hit my skin. I began to walk toward the creature, marveling at how good the sun felt. But each step I took seemed to take me no closer to the patient figure on the hill. I quickened my pace, the broken branch still tethered to my foot with ribbon. Soon, I was jogging. Then running. I made no progress in these Elysian Fields.

Though I was getting no closer to the creature, it seemed as though I was getting closer and closer to the sun. The bright rays began to encroach on my field of vision and soon were almost blinding. The light continued to get brighter and brighter until it consumed me. The field was slowly slipping away. I no longer felt the long grass beneath my feet, but instead, I felt the soft warmth of a bed and a fluffy comforter.

I blinked.

The bright light was coming from the sun streaming in through my window. I thought it was odd that I could see the sun this morning; I could have sworn that my window was on the west side of the apartment.

After a few blinks, my eyes adjusted to the light and I was suddenly aware of the fact that I was not in my apartment. In a brief moment of panic, I sat bolt upright, but the haze of sleep cleared from my mind and I realized that I was still in Dan's room. _What the hell?_ I was pretty sure nothing had happened between us the night before. The last thing I remembered was curling up on the bed, crying while Dan held me. I must have drifted off into sleep.

I looked around and saw no sign that Dan had slept here too, or of Dan himself.

As if on cue, Dan walked through the door.

"Good morning, Sunshine," he smiled. He was carrying a tray laden with pancakes, bacon, eggs and a large glass of orange juice. "I figured you would like some breakfast. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I made everything I know how. The pancakes are Delia Smith pancakes, so I would suggest you at least try them—what's wrong?"

I had not realized it until he asked, but there were tears in my eyes. "Damn it, Dan!" I said. "I have cried more since I have met you than in the last ten years of my life!" It was true. I never used to cry that much, but after all that had happened with Jake, it was as though some dam had broken and let the waterworks flow freely. It might not have been a big gesture, but the fact that Dan had taken the time to make me breakfast showed me that he cared. And feeling cared for made me feel overwhelmingly happy at this moment.

In response to his confused expression, I leapt out of bed, took the tray from his hands, placed it on the bed, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him. "It looks delicious. Thank you."

He smiled, obviously relieved, and kissed me back.

"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to leave for class in half an hour though," I said glancing at the clock.

"I was thinking that after all you have been through, you might want to ditch school for a day and hang out in bed."

I thought about it for a moment then said, "I would absolutely love to do that."

"Great," said Dan. "You hop back in bed and start eating. I'll go get a DVD. Is there anything in particular you want to watch?"

"High School Musical!" I said immediately. I used to love the movies and I had not seen them in quite a awhile

"One, two, or three," Dan asked, smiling at my enthusiasm.

"Two."

"Good choice," he said, exiting the room.

I began to nibble on the pancakes, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. He had made a number of smaller pancakes on which he drizzled different sauces and placed different fruits. One had powdered sugar, one had bananas, and one even had strawberries and chocolate sauce. I could not believe how incredibly delicious they all were. As I began to sample my eggs, Dan returned and popped in the DVD. He then slid under the covers next to me and hit play.

Dan knew every single line in the movie. He could say every word accurately before the actor even opened his or her mouth, and he could sing every line of every song (though not completely in tune the entire time). About half way through, I reached over and muted the movie.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I would rather just hear you say the lines anyway."

Smiling, he looked at me and continued with the scene, imitating Ryan's voice. "Hey, I know everyone thinks I'm Sharpay's poodle, but I really think that—"

He interrupted himself with a high-pitched girly voice that was supposed to be Gabriella. "Hey. If they were thinking that, they aren't thinking that today." At this point I was giggling like mad. Dan's impressions were hilarious enough, but the funny faces he was making in an effort to raise his voice five octaves were the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen.

"How do you do that swing stuff you were doing last night?" He continued in Gabriella's voice. Switching back to Ryan's voice he said right on cue, "It's easy."

As Gabriella and Ryan began to dance on screen, Dan unmuted the movie, pulled me out of bed and began to swing me around. We could not stop laughing as we jumped and spun in each other's arms, dancing together in a very dramatic, High School Musical fashion. Sharpay and Troy's version of "You are the Music in me," was now playing on the movie and we danced faster and faster around the room, both of us singing along. Somehow as we spun at an increasingly faster and faster rate, Dan managed to keep me close enough to him so I would not knock anything over—which was saying something considering how cluttered his room was.

As Troy sung his final, "Oh, yeaaaah," Dan spun me around in circles, and we collapsed together breathless onto his bed on the final beat.

"Great rehearsal! Everybody break!" Dan said at the same time as Sharpay in the most ridiculously high-pitched voice I had ever heard, sending me into another fit of uncontrollable giggles.


End file.
